It's been exactly a month since the world last saw a full New York skyline.
On the early morning of Sept. 11, two unbreakable steel towers stood proudly in the heart of Manhattan. The nation's military headquarters sat safely in Virgina, symbolizing the security of a nation.
And students in Philadelphia went to class, thinking about where they would go for lunch, what to watch on television and when their first papers were due.
But by noon, after two commercial airliners plunged into the side of the Twin Towers, forcing them to collapse, those thoughts were replaced by horror, shock, sadness and fear.
A nightmare had become reality.
What followed the tragedies of Sept. 11 was a month of questions, sorrow and unity. America was left questioning its beliefs, its policies and its customs.
The nation stood together, in shock, in mourning and in pride. Tears that flowed in memory of loved ones lost gave way to powerful images of rescue and recovery.
A tragedy intended to tear our country apart brought us together for the first time in decades, or longer.
Now, as the focus shifts away from the smoldering remains of the World Trade Center and onto the war abroad, we look back on the longest month in our nation's history.
A white sheet lies at the base of the bright red LOVE statue on Locust Walk. It ripples in the wind, with burnt-out candles holding it in place. A bright blue globe is painted on the sheet, surrounded by the words "We must mourn every life lost."
Students were not supposed to react this way.
Candlelight vigils. American flags flying from fraternity houses. Blood drives with lines out the door.
This was supposed to be the generation of apathy, not the generation of action.
But the reputation of ignorance that students had earned went out the window on Sept. 11. It was replaced by an outpouring of support so strong that it shocked even the most bitter cynics.
Prayer sessions were held on College Green. Memorial services were packed to capacity.
Students who were once accused of doing anything for a free meal were giving food and clothing to survivors and rescue workers.
It was as if the tragedies had woken up a sleeping giant, waiting for its chance to make a difference any way it could.
When the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia began turning away potential blood donors, students begged for the chance to give life to those who were losing theirs.
When the Red Cross asked for money and volunteers, students offered their resources and services.
When fraternities and sororities were asked to help raise money, they turned parties into philanthropy events.
College freshman Matt Klapper hitched rides all the way to New York to aid in the rescue effort. A group of girls held a dinner party at their house and charged $50 per person to raise money for charity.
College students were supposed to be lazy and selfish. It took two hours on Sept. 11 to prove that myth wrong.
Classes were canceled, but nobody cared.
Baseball games were postponed, but nobody cared.
Stores and restaurants were closed, but nobody cared.
The tragedies of Sept. 11 may not have altered our way of life, but it drastically altered our perspective on the world.
For days after the attacks, everything in the outside world seemed trivial. Students didn't care about supply-and-demand curves or the reconstruction of the South or anxiety disorders or, frankly, anything else they might be tested on later in the semester. They cared about press conferences, video footage and stories from Ground Zero.
For about 72 hours, our lives were dominated by what the Pentagon looked like alit in flames, and what the World Trade Center looked like as not two of the tallest buildings in the world, but simply as piles of steel and rubble.
Then fear set in. People who flew across the country regularly refused to board airplanes. Major cities were devoid of tourists, and businesses began to fall apart.
A society that had not even blinked at the notion of being unsafe had to come to grips with the largest security breach in history.
Provost Robert Barchi likened the feeling to being robbed in his own home. Students likened it to scenes from the movie Independence Day.
And Americans were left wondering if we would ever feel safe again.
Time has passed, and the false sense of security that the nation felt on Sept. 10 has not been regained. New, stronger security measures are in place to help prevent further attacks.
Air marshals fly back and forth across the country ensuring safety on airplanes. Bomb-sniffing dogs inspect each piece of luggage. Even stronger measures, such as wire-tapping phones and national identification cards, are being discussed.
But deep beneath the armed guards, the stronger cockpit doors and the metal detectors, the sense of vulnerability still lies in all Americans.
The American flag came back into fashion last month.
It seems as though the Star-Spangled Banner had lost its meaning before Sept. 11. Americans sang the national anthem with a certain hollowness, not having been witness to its true power.
But on Sept. 23, during the first New York Yankees home game since tragedy struck the largest city America, the Star-Spangled Banner was back. Americans linked arms, waved flags and sang louder than they could remember singing in a long time.
And we no longer take for granted that our flag will always wave.
It sits on the dashboards of taxicabs. It hangs out of dorm room windows. It has been sewn onto backpacks across campus.
It was not long ago that the focus of the nation was on what was wrong with America -- poverty, race relations, tax plans. The focus has completely turned around.
Political agendas have been put on the back-burner while Congress unites to fight a new war. The once-vilified military has been entrusted with the responsibility of eliminating the threat of terrorism worldwide. The country's business leaders have worked together to rebuild our economy.
And, after the closest and most divisive presidential election in history, partisan America has even united behind its commander-in-chief. President Bush's approval ratings have skyrocketed, and even some of the most liberal Democrats will admit that, for the time being, they're behind the White House.
America is known for being a melting pot of cultures, religions and ethnicities. Over the past month, we have seen all of our individual communities come together for the preservation and prosperity of the nation.
Not since the song was first written have so many people sang "God Bless America" with such emotion.
The strength of the nation will be challenged yet again during the coming months. There will be military defeats, lost lives and, most likely, more attempts to bring terror inside our borders.
The last month has shown that America has the poise and the power to withstand an assault on some of our most sacred targets. We have seen a new generation step up to the challenge, a nation face down its fears and the revival of long-lost patriotism.
